


A Fucking Mess

by whom_ping_willow



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-10-13 23:57:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17497769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whom_ping_willow/pseuds/whom_ping_willow
Summary: Sirius Black is happy to finally escape his family. And what's more, his whole world is turned around when he meets Remus, the most handsome barista in the history of baristas. Sirius has never been in love before, but maybe Remus is the one.James Potter is excited about college, and it becomes even more exciting when he meets a pretty girl who seems interested in him too. But things get a little more complicated when he tries kissing a boy for the first time. And even worse, that boy is his roommate's younger brother.





	1. The Roommate

“James, love, are you sure you don’t want our help?”

“Yes, mum.” James sighed and smiled. “I’m absolutely sure.”

“Let us at least help you carry the boxes.” His mum said, the usual worrying look on her face. “They look so heavy.”

“I’ve told you, I can carry them.”

“But James, you don’t even know where to go.”

Euphemia Potter had always been overprotective, and James usually didn’t mind. But it was starting to get a little much. He wanted to prove to his parents and to the world, but mostly to himself, that he could be independent. And he was going to carry the boxes to his dorm room by himself.

“He’ll be fine.” His dad, Fleamont, said from his place in the car. “I think it’s good for him to learn to handle himself. Independence and all that.”

“Exactly.” James nodded gratefully. At least his dad understood.

His mum looked like she was on the verge of tears, as she pulled James into a tight hug. “Oh, my little Jamie-bear. I’m gonna miss you _so_ much.”

James felt a little embarrassed because the nickname and because he was being fiercely squeezed in the middle of the parking lot.

“Yeah, I’ll uh, miss you too.” He muttered, giving his mum a quick pat on the back. 

“Please call if you need anything.” His mum said.

“I will.”

“And remember to wash your clothes.”

“Of course, mum.”

His mum finally let go of him, allowing him to breathe again. 

“We’ll wait here for you, then.”

“Oh-” James smiled, walking to the trunk of the car to take out the three cardboard boxes containing all of his stuff. “You really don’t have to. I’ll just leave the last two boxes here.” He lifted the boxes out of the car one by one. They were heavier than he’d expected, but it was fine. He was sure it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Are you sure, honey? We can stay here in the car until you’re done loading everything off.”

“No.” James shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Just drive. You guys have a long way home.”

He took one of the boxes, the lightest one, and started walking towards the big building. “Bye!” He called over his shoulder, to his parents who were in the car, waving at him. “Bye mum and dad, hello freedom.” He muttered to himself as he entered the building.

It didn’t take long of walking around in the endless corridors, carrying the heavy box, for James to realize that finding his dorm wouldn’t be as easy as he’d thought. He decided to set down the box for a minute and pulled out the key to his dorm, which had the number 394 on it. 

James sighed and looked around again, then looked back down at the key in his hand. He was never going to find it by himself. No, he would definitely have to ask someone for-

“Need help?”

James spun around, a smile instantly spreading across his face. Like his own personal saviour, sent from the sky, the girl standing in front of him had dark red hair and bright green eyes. And _oh god_ , she was beautiful. It took James every ounce of self-control to stop staring. 

“How could you tell?” He asked, sheepishly rubbing his neck.

“You look kinda like a deer caught in the headlights.” The girl chuckled.

“Well- I’m kinda lost,” James admitted.

The red-haired girl smiled in such a kind and understanding way, it made James’ insides melt. “I’m not very familiar with this place either.” She said. “But I’ve got a map.” She pulled out a piece of paper from her backpack and walked over to stand beside James, showing him the map. “What’s your dorm number?” She asked.

“Uh…” James checked the number on his key again. “394.”

“394…” The girl let her finger sweep over the map as she searched for room number 394. James noticed the red paint on her nails. It matched her fiery hair. “There.” She pointed at a place on the map. “Just by the canteen. And i know where that is, ‘cause I’ve been by it 3 times already while trying to find my own dorm.” She laughed, stuffing the map back into her bag. “You just have to go that way.”

James nodded, looking the way she pointed. “Thank you, really.” He said, running a hand through his dark messy hair. “I would never have figured that out on my own.”

The girl smiled. “No problem.” She said. “Maybe i’ll see you another time.”

James stood for a moment, looking after the girl as she continued down a different corridor. He was slightly bitter that he hadn’t asked for her number or even her name, but he figured he’d probably have another chance. 

He picked up the heavy box and continued down the corridor as the girl had told him. 

As he reached his dorm, he quickly noticed that the door was open: his roommate might already be there.

He stepped inside and dumped the heavy box onto the floor, before standing up straight to see a boy sitting on one of the beds, phone in his hand. The boy had dark, relatively short hair, pale complexion and a serious face. He looked a little young to be a college student, but maybe he was older than he looked. James cleared his throat, to make the guy aware of his presence but either he didn’t hear him or he chose to ignore him. 

“Hey,” James said loudly, wanting to make sure he was heard.

The boy looked up from his phone, brows furrowed slightly in annoyance. 

“Are you Sirius?” James asked. That was all he knew about his roommate: His name was Sirius Black.

The guy rolled his eyes, a strange response in James’s opinion. “Haha.” He said, looking back at his phone. “No i’m not, thankfully.”

“Oh.” James didn't really know what to say or do. Why was this guy so cold towards him?

“Am i in the wrong dorm, then?”

“How on earth would i know?”

James opened his mouth to say something, but just as he did, the door opened again and a guy entered, carrying a heavy-looking box that he set down as soon as he was inside. The guy smiled as he saw James. “Oh, hey. James?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“I’m Sirius.” 

The guy, Sirius, had the same features and the same dark hair as the other guy, James assumed they were brothers. He was wearing a Queen shirt and his hair was in a messy bun. 

“Oh, so _you’re_ Sirius.”

“Yup. This is my brother, Regulus. He’s just helping me move in. I hope he wasn’t rude to you.” Sirius shot his brother an accusing look. 

“Not at all.” James lied. “Well, i better go get the rest of my stuff.” 

“Need any help?” Sirius offered. 

“I wouldn’t say no to that,” James admitted. He still needed to get two boxes and they were both pretty heavy.

“Great.” Sirius grinned, carelessly dropping down on one bed. “Reg, will you help him?”

“No.” The younger boy said, not looking up from his phone. 

“Considering you came here to help me, you haven’t been very helpful yet,” Sirius said, prodding his brother with an elbow. 

Regulus sighed and stood up, stuffing his phone into his pocket. “ _Fine_.”

The walk back to the parking lot with Regulus was, to say the least, awkward. James tried half-heartedly to make conversation, but Regulus didn’t seem like the type to talk much.

“So... Sirius is your older brother?”

“Yup.” Regulus said, not looking at James.

“You’re still in High School, then?”

“Yes.”

“What year?”

“Why do you want to know?”

James shrugged. “Just curious.”

“Senior.” The boy said, after a while of silence.

“You’re in senior year?”

“That’s what i just said.”

James kept quiet the rest of the way out into the parking lot, where the two cardboard boxes were. His parents weren’t there anymore, but he had a feeling they’d only just left. 

He and Regulus both took a box and walked back to the dorm, where Sirius was setting up his stuff at one side of the room. “I hope you don’t mind i took this bed.” He said when James and Regulus entered.

“That’s fine by me,” James said, panting slightly after carrying the heavy box. 

Regulus left shortly after. Sirius offered to help him get home, but he seemed to prefer just taking the train by himself. 

“Call me when you get home,” Sirius said, and though Regulus seemed annoyed, he promised to do so. 

James opened one of his boxes and started making his bed with the sheets he’d brought from home, and Sirius started putting up posters, most of them of rock bands, and a few of them of motorcycles. James had a few posters of his favourite football team. As he put them on the wall, he heard Sirius’s voice from behind him.

“Oh, come on, really?”

He spun around, to see Sirius looking at the football posters with a sceptical expression. 

“What?” James demanded.

“Football?” Sirius didn’t seem happy with the choice of posters.

“Yeah? I like football.”

“Ew.”

James crossed his arms, a bit offended. He wasn’t much of a fan of rock music either, but he hadn’t said anything about Sirius’s choice of decorations.

“What’s wrong with football?” He asked defensively.

Sirius shrugged. “Nothing, i guess. Just please don’t be a lame jock.”

James took out the rest of his things before sitting down on his newly made bed. Sirius was lying on his own bed, phone in hand, but he looked up when James sat down.

“You done?” He asked.

“Yes?”

His face split into a wide grin. “Ready to have some fun?”

“Er-” Sure, James liked to have fun, but he also liked knowing what kind of ‘fun’ he was getting up to, before agreeing. “Fun?”

Sirius smiled, opened his backpack and pulled out a water bottle. “What would you say if i told you this isn’t water?”

James raised an eyebrow. “If it’s not water, what is it then?”

Sirius scoffed and rolled his eyes. “It’s vodka, you dummy.”

“Oh.” James suddenly felt a bit stupid. “But we have classes tomorrow.” He knew from experience that being in class while being hungover was never a pleasant experience.

“Oh, don’t be such a wet blanket.” Sirius un-screwed the lid of the bottle and took a large swig, before handing it to James. “Let me put on some music.”

James took a sip of the vodka. It wasn’t bad. “I’ve brought a speaker in case we need it,” he said.

“Sweet.” Sirius grinned. They put on music and shared the bottle of vodka between them while talking, trying to get to know each other better.

“So you live close by?”

“Yeah,” Sirius said. “I guess my parents wanted to keep an eye on me, or whatever.” James noticed Sirius’s expression changed at the mention of his parents. He figured they probably didn’t have the best relationship. “What about you?” Sirius asked. “Do you live far away?”

“Yeah. My parents really wanted me to go to the college closest to us. I told them i didn’t get in, though, so i had to go here.”

Sirius looked at him carefully, almost as though he was studying him. “But you did get in, didn’t you? To the college your parents wanted you to go to.”

James nodded. Perhaps if he hadn’t already been slightly tipsy, he wouldn’t have been so honest with Sirius, but he was. “I love my parents,” He said. “But it’s like they still see me as… as a child. And i don’t want them to see me like that anymore. They always think i need help with everything when i really don’t. So i guess i chose this college to.. to prove to myself that i can be independent.”

Sirius nodded, taking another swig of vodka. “Makes sense.”

A brief silence fell between them, a silence James felt the need to break. He searched his mind for conversation topics, but only one thing came up. 

“So.. Do you have a girlfriend?”

Sirius, who was mid-swig, seemed to almost choke on the vodka. He coughed, looking at James, then laughed awkwardly. “No.” He said. “And i don’t intend on getting one.”

“Why not?” James asked. 

“Well.” Sirius looked down, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “I’m not really... Uh, girls aren’t really my thing…”

“What do you mean?” James asked. “You seem like the kind of person who wouldn’t have a problem with getting girls to like y-”

“No.” Sirius cut him off. “I mean i’m gay.”

“Oh.” Again, James felt kinda stupid for not getting Sirius’s hint. “Well, do you have a _boy_ friend, then?”

Sirius shook his head, looking relieved. Perhaps he had thought James would have a problem with him being gay? “I’m a single pringle.” He said. “But hey, this is college. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of opportunities. Oh and just so we’re clear,” He added. “You’re not my type.”

James laughed. “No, thanks for clearing that up. You’re not my type either.” He said. “My type is, y’know, girls.”

Sirius shook his head and took a sip of the vodka. “Now that you’re bringing up the subject,” He said. “Do you have any… romance in your life?”

James’s mind immediately went to the pretty, red-haired girl he’d met in the hallway, but he knew that was ridiculous. He didn’t even know her. She probably hadn’t spared him a second thought after helping him. “No.” He said.

“Then why are you smiling like an idiot?” Sirius asked, laughing.

“I’m not!”

“Yeah, you are.”

James looked down, trying not to smile. “Well, i met this really pretty girl but,” He shrugged. “She probably doesn’t even remember me.”

“You met her here?” Sirius asked.

“Yeah, in the hallway.”

“So you’ve only met her once?”

“Well, yeah.” James said.

“You can’t like someone you’ve only met once!”

“Yeah, i can!” James said. “You don’t believe in love at first sight?”

James wasn’t even sure _he_ believed in love at first sight, but he’d definitely felt something when he saw that girl. 

“Love at first sight?” Sirius laughed. “Hate to break it to you, James, but life isn’t a fairytale.” 

“I know,” James said. “I’m just saying maybe sometimes you meet someone and you just connect? Look, i don’t know. I’m not exactly an expert when it comes to love.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “No kidding.” He said, laughing.


	2. The Barista

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to people who read and support my fic!! It really means a lot!

The first thing Sirius became aware of as he woke up was the running shower. It somehow sounded different than what it used to, and seemed closer than usual.

Sirius opened his eyes, squinting against the sunlight and sat up, for a moment confused about the unfamiliar surroundings. Then it dawned on him. Of course. He wasn’t at home. 

He got up and got dressed, the half empty bottle of vodka still standing on his bedside table. “Better hide that away.” He muttered, stuffing it back into his bag. 

James exited the small bathroom, his hair still wet from showering. “The bathroom’s ready for you.” He said.

Sirius took a quick shower, then came back inside. James was sitting on the bed, looking at his phone with glazed over, tired eyes. “I could really use a coffee.” He said.

Sirius nodded in agreement. “Me too. There’s a coffee shop just outside campus, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and there’s plenty of time.”

James smiled. “Sweet.”

“I’ll go get coffee, then. What do you want?” Sirius asked.

James shrugged. “Just something with a lot of caffeine.” He said.

The coffee shop wasn’t exactly full, but it was also very clear that Sirius wasn’t the only student who’d had this idea. He got in the shortest line, studying the menu as he waited. He’d actually never tried one of those crazy menu items with caramel and ice cream and sprinkles. Although maybe something stronger would be better. He felt like he could down a whole can of black coffee. Then again, caramel sprinkles. This was a tough question between caffeine and sugar overload. A question Sirius forgot all about when he was suddenly face to face with the most handsome guy he’d ever seen. 

A tall, curly-haired guy, probably around Sirius's age. 

He saw the guy’s lips moving, but he didn’t hear a word of what was being said, and it took a little too long for him to come back to reality.

With slightly flushed cheeks, he looked down, cleared his throat then looked back up. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

The barista chuckled softly and repeated the question. “What can i get you?”

“Right.” It took Sirius all of his willpower to take his eyes off the absolute masterpiece in front of him and look at the menu again. “Uh- two coffees, please.”

“This is a coffee shop.” The guy said, in a tone that Sirius couldn’t quite decode. Was he being sarcastic or polite? Annoyed or amused? “You’ll have to be a little more specific.”

Sirius nodded, studying the menu a little more carefully, suddenly very aware of the people standing in line behind him. 

“Just like, normal coffee?” He said, looking back at the guy who, still with a polite smile, sighed and chuckled once again. 

“Two double shots cappuccino, then?”

Even though Sirius knew his chance to appear cool and impress this guy was long gone, he had now managed to get himself enough together. He shot the guy one of his usual, confident smiles, although his face was still flushed, and said: “I wouldn’t say no to that.”

The guy smiled, rolling his eyes subtly, though not quite subtle enough for Sirius to not notice. “Two cappuccinos coming right up, then. Would you like them to go?”

“Yeah, sure. Sounds good.”

“Name?”

"What?"

"I need to write your name on the cups." The barista said patiently.

“Uh-” Again, Sirius felt his cheeks heat up, and he gave himself a mental kick. Why was he being so ridiculous? “It's, uhm, Sirius.”

The guy turned away to make the coffee, giving Sirius time to note that he had quite a nice rear-end as well.

It didn’t take long before the coffee was ready and Sirius could hurry back to campus and to his dormitory, where James was bent over his backpack, apparently trying to find something.

“What took you so long?” James asked.

“Uh-” The image of the handsome barista entered Sirius’s mind yet again and a new blush spread in his cheeks. “There were quite a lot of people in line.”

James looked up, brows furrowed as he studied Sirius’s expression. “Why are you blushing?” He asked slowly.

“Shut up.” Sirius muttered. “I’m not.”

James looked and sounded as though he was trying to suppress a laugh. “Yeah you are. What happened?”

“Nothing. What were you looking for?” He asked, to change the subject.

James rolled his eyes, clearly aware of what Sirius was doing, but pulled out a piece of paper from his backpack. “My schedule.” He said, waving the paper. “Now tell me what happened at the coffee shop.”

Sirius sighed and sat down. “A fucking hot barista happened!” He said, a stupid smile spreading across his face. 

“A barista?”

“Yes.” Sirius rubbed his eyes, then looked at James. “He was _so_ handsome. Curly hair, beautiful eyes. Oh my god, James, he was _perfect_. And i made a complete fool out of myself!”

James laughed. “I thought you said you didn’t believe in love at first sight?”

Sirius scoffed and looked away. “It wasn’t love, it was…” He paused, the image of the barista again filling his mind. It wasn’t really anything. He’d thought the guy was attractive but that was it. Right? It wasn’t like he’d see him again, anyways, so did it really matter? “I’m allowed to find people attractive. And that's all it was.”

“You’re literally still blushing though.”

“Shut up.”

Sirius and James had agreed to walk to class together, but James had English and Sirius had Art History, so they had to pretty quickly split up and go separate ways.

It took a bit asking around for Sirius to find his classroom, but somehow he still managed to get there on time. He took a seat next to a pudgy, nervous-looking guy, probably a freshman like himself, and looked out over the class. The teacher was an incredibly old man, probably around 100 years old, and the clothes he wore looked like something you’d wear in the 1950s. Sirius sighed. “Well, this is gonna be fun.” He muttered. 

“You really think so?” The guy sitting next to him said in a nervous tone. 

Sirius rolled his eyes, looking at the boy. “Maybe you need a sarcasm detector.” He said.

The boy looked down at his hands. “Right. Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? No need to do that.” Sirius chuckled.

“Uhm, sor-” The guy was clearly about to apologize again, but managed to stop himself. 

“I’m Sirius.” Sirius extended his hand to the guy, who hesitantly took it, his palms very sweaty. 

“P-Peter.”

“Cool.” Sirius said, wiping Peter’s sweat off his own hand. “‘You a freshman too?”

Peter nodded. “How- how did you know?”

Sirius shrugged. “I just got that vibe from you, i guess.”

The incredibly old teacher cleared his throat, causing the room to fall relatively silent and, without any introduction or anything, he began his lecture about medieval art. As Sirius had expected, it was extremely boring. He let his face rest in his hands and allowed his mind to wander to the encounter with the handsome barista, at once embarrassing and so heavenly. For a fleeting moment, Sirius imagined what it’d be like if he’d asked for the guy's number or even his name. Could Sirius have gotten a chance with the guy? Would he even have had the courage to ask such things? 

Sirius sighed, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter, anyways.” He muttered to himself. “It’s not like i’m ever gonna see him again.”


	3. The Football Team

The girl was in James’s class. The pretty, red-haired girl he’d asked for directions yesterday. She was sitting right there, looking out of a window, her red hair in a ponytail to keep it out of her face. And there was an empty seat beside her.

James made his way over to where she was sitting. “Hey.” He said, causing her to look up at him. “Is this seat taken?”

When she saw him, she smiled and shook her head. “Not what i know of.”

"Mind if i sit?"

"Not at all."

As he sat down, he noticed the sweet but subtle flowery scent, she gave off, presumably from her perfume or something in her hair.

"Thanks for the help yesterday," James said.

For a moment, the girl looked confused, and James wanted to kick himself very hard. Why had he said that? Now he probably just sounded creepy.

"Sorry." He muttered. "You probably don't remember me."

The girl's face lit up with recognition. "Oh, i remember you." He said, smiling. "So did you find your dorm?"

"Yup. All thanks to you."

The girl smiled. James returned the smile. He didn't really know what more to say.

Perfectly timed, the teacher came in, apologized for being late, even though he wasn’t really late, and began his lecture, which contained many words that were foreign to James.

He looked over at the girl. She was listening attentively, taking notes at a ferocious speed, but suddenly stopped and looked up at James. She's probably noticed him looking at her.

“Sorry, this is probably kinda stupid but-” James smiled. “I feel completely lost. Does any of this make sense to you?” Saying none of it made sense was quite an overstatement. In fact, James understood most of it, but it was nice to have an excuse to talk to her.

The girl chuckled and shrugged. “Yeah, most of it. Here, you can look at my notes.”

James grinned, running a hand through his hair. “Thanks a lot.” He said.

“No problem.”

“Oh and, uh…”

“Yes?” The girl brushed a stray hair out of her eyes, looking up at James with those bright green eyes.

“I never got to ask your name.”

“Oh.” She chuckled softly, looking down. “It’s Lily.”

James nodded. “Lily. That’s a nice name. I’m James.”

“Nice to meet you, James,” Lily said, laughing. 

James suddenly became aware that the teacher had stopped talking. “Excuse me,” The middle-aged, bearded English teacher said, looking directly at James and Lily. “Can you tell me what you two are talking about that could possibly be more important than what i’m teaching?”

“Nothing.” Lily muttered. James noticed she’d gone completely red. “Sorry, sir.”

James didn’t say anything to her the rest of the lesson. She didn’t look like she wanted to be disturbed.

 

“Sorry i got you in trouble.” He said, when the lesson had ended. 

Lily smiled at him while stuffing her books back into her bag and flinging it over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. We didn’t really get in trouble.”

James smiled back, relieved. “Yeah, you’re right. But i don't think the teacher likes us very much anymore.”

Lily shrugged. “Who cares what he thinks?” She said. “As long as he doesn’t let his personal opinions get in the way of teaching.”

James nodded, gathering his own stuff. “Shit, we got a lot of homework.” He muttered, mostly to himself.

“I can help you with it if you want to,” Lily said, looking at him shyly. 

“Oh.” James grinned. “Really? That’d be great.”

“Yeah, of course. Just ask whenever you need help.”

James nodded, rubbing his neck. “You too. Although i doubt i can help much with this.” It was pretty obvious that Lily was better than him, at English at least. “I’m pretty good at some other subject, so maybe i can help you with something else.”

Lily smiled. “Yeah, that sounds great. Well, i’ll see you.”

 

“James! Oi, James!”

James turned around, having barely left the classroom he’d just been in.

“Sirius!” He said excitedly. “She was in my English class!”

Sirius stopped when he’d reached James. “Who?”

“Lily!”

“Who?” Sirius asked again.

“The girl i told you about before!”

Sirius didn’t seem to remember any girl. James rolled his eyes impatiently. “The girl who helped me find the dorm yesterday!”

“Aah.” Sirius nodded. “And so what?”

“She’s in my English class!”

“And?”

“Oh, i don’t know, Sirius. _Maybe_ i’m just _happy_ because i thought i wasn’t gonna have a chance to get to know her and now i do!”

Sirius smiled and turned around, shaking his head. “Great for you, James. Now come on.”

“Come on, where?”

“We gotta go to the canteen.” Sirius said, “To make friends.”

“Sure.”

“We don’t wanna be those losers who sit alone all the time.”

“Guess not.” James said. “But i already have a lot of homework, and i need to do that as well.”

“Let’s do homework together after school,” Sirius said, smiling. “We can go to coffee shop and do it there.”

James rolled his eyes. “You’re just hoping to see the hot barista-dude again.”  

“James,” Sirius glared at him. “That’s ridiculous. I just want coffee!”

“If you say so.”

The two of them entered the canteen, looking around. James spotted a group of guys, all in varsity jackets with the school’s team on their chests. 

“If i want to join the football team, i should probably try mingling with the guys from there.”

Sirius grimaced. “Really, James? You’re gonna abandon me for the _jocks_?”

“I’m sure you can join too.”

“Ha.” Sirius shook his head. “No thanks. I’m gonna find another table to sit at, and we can talk after school.”

“You sure?”

He nodded. “Maybe i’ll sit with that Peter guy.”

“Who?”

“A dude who’s in one of my classes. At least he isn’t gonna betray me like this.”

“You don’t need to be so dramatic,” James said with a chuckle. “I’ll see you after classes.”

“Yup. Have fun with your jocks.”

Sirius went to the other side of the canteen, and James made his way over to the jocks, suddenly a bit nervous. 

“Hey.” He said when he reached their table. 

Suddenly the eyes of the whole football team were on James, putting him very much on the spot. He shot them a smile, gesturing to an empty seat. “Mind if i sit down?”

The guys shrugged. “Guess not.” 

Feeling as though he was about to shit himself, James sat down.

“You looking to join the football team?” A broad-shouldered guy asked. 

James nodded. “That’s kinda the plan, yeah.”

“Sure you have what it takes?” Another one of the guys asked.

James nodded, trying to come off as confident, cool. “I played football in High School.” He said. 

A few of the guys laughed. “How cute. You think because you played kindergarten-ball you have what it takes to come play with the big guys?”

“Nah, buddy. It’s gonna take more than that. But i guess we’ll see you at try-outs.”

“When is that?” James asked.

“Thursday.”

James nodded. “Great. I’ll be there.”

James wanted to stay, but it seemed that he had overstayed his welcome. None of the guys talked to or about him, or even looked at him. They were discussing some party, a party they were planning, and it didn't seem like James was welcome. Neither at the party or in the conversation.

It would’ve been great, James thought, if he’d had the chance to charm his way into the team, or even just get to know them better, but he really didn’t feel like staying at their table anymore. So instead, he got up and started searching for Sirius in the crowd. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and sharing is very much appreciated!  
> (Btw i know this is a kinda short chapter, but i figured a short chapter would be better than a really boring, dragged out chapter lol)


	4. Thank you

Sirius didn’t really mind. Sure, it was a little selfish of James to leave him behind, but it was fine. It didn’t take long before he spotted the kid from Art History, Peter, sitting at a table with three girls. 

Most people would probably have politely asked if they could sit down at the table with them, but not Sirius.

“Peter.” He said as he set down his tray and took a seat next to the boy. “I hadn’t imagined you as such a ladies man.”

One of the girls, a red-head, laughed and said: “Are you gonna introduce us to your friend?”

Peter opened his mouth to say something, probably to introduce Sirius like the girls had said, but Sirius butted in. 

“I’m Sirius.” He said, smiling charmingly. 

Ironic, he thought, that he could act so cool around girls and guys like Peter, but when it came to handsome baristas, he was a complete mess. 

“Nice to meet you, Sirius.” Another one of the girls said. “I’m Marlene. This is Dorcas,” She gestured to the brunette sitting next to her. “And Lily.” She finished, pointing to the redhead who’d spoken first.

“A pleasure,” Sirius said, looking at the redhead. Lily. Something about that name was familiar. Could this be the same Lily, James had told him about? “Do you happen to know someone by the name of James?”

“Uh..” Lily smiled. “Not well. There’s a guy in my English class named James, but I’ve only talked to him a few times.”

“Dark, stupidly messy hair and glasses?”

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Lily answered. “Why?”

“He’s my roommate,” Sirius said. “He’s told me a lot about you.”

“He has?”

Sirius nodded, trying to hide a smirk. “He has a massive crush on you.”

“Oh.” Lily looked down, blushing slightly. “And how do you know that?”

“It’s very obvious.”

“Who is this James?” The blonde asked, looking at Lily. “Why haven’t I heard about him?”

Lily shrugged. “He’s just this guy I talked to in English.”

“Oho,” Sirius grinned. “I think he considers you a little more than ‘a girl he talked to in English.’”

For a moment, Lily’s cheeks were almost as red as her hair, but she quickly recovered, looking at something behind Sirius.

He turned around in his seat, seeing James standing behind him. 

“Speak of the devil,” Sirius muttered, turned back towards the others.

“Mind if I sit here?” James asked. 

Sirius huffed. “I don’t know, are you sure you wouldn’t rather sit with your new jock friends?” He said in a false accusatory tone. 

“Sorry, mate,” James said, dropping down next to him. “But to be fair, you’re my new friend too.”

“What are you talking about?” Sirius said. “You’ve known me since yesterday.”

James looked up, finally noticing the redhead sitting in front of him. “Oh.” He smiled. “Hey there.”

“Hello again,” Lily said with a soft chuckle. 

James suddenly seemed very busy with his appearance. He ran both hands through his already messy hair, messing it up even more. 

Sirius rolled his eyes, about to make a sarcastic comment, when he remembered his own behaviour around the handsome barista. Perhaps he wasn’t really one to talk.

“Well,” The blonde girl stood up. “We gotta get to class. Coming?”

The two other girls, including Lily, stood up.

Sirius nodded and stood up as well. “Yeah, we gotta go too. James, we’re going to the coffee shop after classes.”

“We are?” James blinked, clearly distracted. Probably by Lily. 

“Yes,” Sirius said. “To study.”

 

Sirius didn’t really intend to study. He knew it would be ridiculous to hope that he’d get to meet the same barista again, but still. Worst case scenario, he’d get a coffee but no cute barista. 

But due to some miracle of the universe, the barista was there. The  _ same _ barista. The handsome one, from earlier that day. 

Sirius could feel his mind going numb as if he was slipping into a coma, a dream-like state. But somewhere in the distance, a panic alarm was ringing. 

“Sirius?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you gonna, uh, get in line?”

Sirius tore his eyes away from the handsome barista to look at James.

“Yeah.” He said, not entirely sure what he was agreeing to.

“Great. I’ll get us a table.”

Sirius nodded and placed himself in the line. It didn’t take long before he once again stood in front of the barista. 

“What can I get you?” The barista's voice sounded tired, almost monotone. 

Sirius noticed the dark circles under the guy’s eyes. He wasn’t sure if those had been there that morning. Maybe Sirius hadn’t paid attention. It gave the guy a tired, almost sick look, and Sirius couldn’t help but wonder when he got up and for how long he’d been at work.

“Hey,” Sirius said, relieved to find that he wasn’t acting like an idiot like last time.

“Hello. Are you gonna order something or just stand there?” The barista didn’t appear to have recognized Sirius, which shouldn’t be a surprise. He probably got a lot of customers, yet it made Sirius just a bit disappointed.

“Yeah, of course. Uh, I’d like two coffees. Just plain.”

“To go?”

“No thanks.”

“Name?”

For a moment, Sirius’s mind felt completely blank. What had the barista said to him? Sirius felt that he’d already embarrassed himself too much. He couldn’t ask the guy to repeat himself, so all he could do was hope it wasn’t a question. “Thank you.” He just blankly said. That was almost always a good, polite thing to say.

The barista blinked, for a moment looking very confused. Then he laughed. “ _Thank you?_ Is that your name? God, your parents must really hate you.”

“Oh.” Sirius looked down, cheeks heating up. “No, Sirius. My name is Sirius.”

The guy laughed again. It was an incredible sound, slightly hoarse, yet oddly soft, his amber eyes shifting to the side and then down. It made Sirius blush even harder. “So, what would you like me to write on your cup?” He asked, still smiling, a look that suited him much better than the tired indifference he’d had before.

“Uh-” Sirius really wanted to say something witty, like _your number_ , but instead what he said was: “Just write whatever you feel like writing.”

The guy chuckled again. “Okay. Thanks.” Then he turned around to prepare the coffee.

 

“What the fuck was that?” James asked when Sirius joined him at the table.

“What?” Sirius set down the two coffees, which both had the words ‘Thank You’ written on them, and sat down opposite James.

“You got all blushy and smiley all of a sudden.” After a moment, James let out a soft gasp followed by an  _ oooh.  _ “The barista. It’s the _same_ one isn't it?”

Sirius glanced back at the barista, now busy with serving another customer. “Yup.” He muttered. “Twice in one day. Imagine the chance of that actually happening. He must work really long shifts here.”

“Huh.” James seemed to be studying the barista. “The tall one with the curls, right?”

Sirius nodded. “James, don’t stare at him.” He muttered.

“He’s pretty cute.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So,” James looked back at Sirius, wiggling his eyebrows. “What did you guys talk about?”

“Nothing,” Sirius said. “I ordered coffee. He made the coffee.”

“Did he remember you?”

“Obviously not.”

“Why didn’t you ask for his number?” James asked. “Or ask him on a date.”

“Well.” Sirius crossed his arms defensively. “Why haven’t you asked _Lily_ on a date?”

James looked at him, seemingly lost for words for a moment, before shrugging. “We don’t know each other that well.”

Sirius laughed dryly, taking a sip of his coffee. “You fucking hypocrite.”

“I’ll have loads of chances to ask her out,” James said. “But you might not see the barista again. Ever. You don’t know his work schedule.”

Sirius sighed. James was probably right, but Sirius knew he didn’t have to guts to walk up there and talk to the guy again. He’d just make a fool out of himself. More than he already had. 

“Come on, Sirius, don’t be such a chicken.” James grinned, leaning over the table. “Look, the line is really short now. Just get up there, ask for his number and then come back to the table.”

Sirius rolled his eyes, looking down at his coffee. “Good idea, _James._ I’ll just ask a _complete_ stranger for my number.”

“Well, you aren’t complete strangers.”

“I don’t even know his name!”

James shrugged, a subtle smile playing on his lips. “Perhaps not. But I definitely felt something between you two, and I was sitting all the way over here.”

“What do you mean you felt something between us?”

“Did you not see the way he laughed at whatever you said? What was so funny? Your coffee order?”

Sirius kept his eyes on his cup of coffee, carefully stirring the golden brown liquid. “Yeah, something like that.” He muttered. 

“By the way,” James lifted up his own cup, looking at the words scribbled on the side in black sharpie. “Why does this say ‘thank you’? Thank you for what?”

Sirius smiled, glancing back at the barista. “No idea.”


	5. Football Tryouts

It hadn’t even been a week, but James was already starting to feel more at home. He was getting used to classes, and having a roommate.

Sirius was incredibly messy, but James didn’t mind, as long as he kept all his mess at his own side of the room. He was also smarter than James had expected and seemed to do surprisingly well at everything, despite never studying. Sirius also had very strong opinions on things, and he certainly wasn’t afraid to voice those opinions.

What James found most funny, or perhaps ironic, was how popular Sirius was around girls. He seemed to have a kind of natural charm, even when he didn’t try. Something James didn’t understand, yet couldn’t help but envy.

James jumped as a phone suddenly started ringing. But it was Sirius’s phone, not his own.

“Sirius!” He called. “Your phone’s ringing.”

The sound of running water stopped as Sirius turned off the shower. “Someone's calling me?” He asked from the bathroom.

James picked up the phone, not answering the call, of course. The screen showed that ‘The Woman Who Birthed Me’ was calling. “It’s, uh, your mum, I think.”

“Fucking shit.” After a few moments, Sirius came into the room, hair wet, wearing nothing but boxer shorts and t-shirt.

He took the phone from James, looking at the screen and swearing under his breath before answering. “Hello.” The way he said it sounded so formal, like he was talking to his boss rather than his own mum.

“Yes, I know. I am doing that.”

James couldn’t hear what Sirius’s mum was saying on the other end, but the way Sirius answered was so out of character. Strangely obedient and not at all what he usually sounded like. 

Mrs Black seemed to be going on a long rant about something. Occasionally, Sirius would give short answers or say something like "yes, I know" or “of course I’m keeping out of trouble.”

The talk went on for a few minutes before Sirius said: “I really have to go. I don’t wanna be late for class.”

James looked at the clock. Classes started in 30 minutes, there was plenty of time, but it seemed that Sirius really wanted to avoid talking to his mum.

“Say hi to Regulus for me.” He muttered into the phone before hanging up.

James wasn’t really sure what to say. He was aware that Sirius wasn’t very fond of his parents, but based on this conversation, James would almost think Sirius was... scared of his parents? He at least hadn’t seemed very comfortable during that whole phone call.

“Well,” Sirius put down the phone and got up. “I gotta finish that shower. I haven’t even put conditioner in my hair yet.”

“Conditioner?”  
“Yes, James, how else do you think i achieve this perfect, soft hair?”

Sirius finished his shower, then came back out, this time fully clothed. “Fuck, we have this really big assignment due friday. Not even a week in, and they’re already giving us huge assignments!”

“Shit, that's right!” James said. "Today's thursday!"

“Uh, yes?”

“Football tryouts!” James said excitedly.

“Oh, that’s today?”

“Yes! You’re coming right?”

Sirius laughed. “Uh, no?”

“Please? I mean, you don’t have to try out for a place at the football team if that’s not what you’re into.”

“It’s not.” Sirius said, laughing again. “I have to do homework, so i can’t come.”

“Since when do you do homework?” James asked. “Please, Sirius, just come and cheer for me.”

Sirius let out a long, dragged out sigh. “I can’t believe you’re making me do this.”

"That's a yes, though, isn't it?" James grinned. nudging his shoulder. “Thanks, Sirius.”

“Whatever. Let’s get to class.”

 

James had Physics with Lily and her friend, Marlene.

The pretty redhead smiled when she saw him and patted the chair beside her and Marlene.

“Morning, ladies.” James said, smiling at them as he sat down.

“Hey.” Lily smiled back. It might have just been James’s imagination, but he swore her cheeks went slightly red.

“Oh, fuck no.” Marlene groaned. “If you two are gonna do that shit then i’m out.”

“Do what?” Lily asked confusedly.

“You know what. That thing where you get all stupid and blushy. It’s gross.”

Lily went quiet, concealing the red blush with her even more red hair.

“We’re not doing that.” James tried to laugh off the awkwardness. “We’re just friends.”

Marlene snorted and rolled her eyes. “Right.”

One thing was to be said about the Physics professor: he really liked his subject. His lectures were more like long rambles about whatever subject they were supposed to learn about. Although it could be hard to tell what it was they were learning about, as big parts of the professors lectures were always sidetracks: him getting distracted and rambling about an entirely different subject.

Lily didn’t seem as much as home here as she did in English class. “Does this make sense to you guys?” She whispered, halfway through the lecture.

“Nope.” Marlene said. “I gave up on passing Physics before i even got here.”

It did in fact make sense to James, most of it anyways. “What do you need help understanding?” He asked, glad that he might finally be of some assistance to her.

Lily let out a deep, frustrated sigh. “Just about all of it.” She said.

“Oh.” James said. “Well, all of it is a lot to cover, but i’d love to help you after class.”

“We have another class after this class.” Lily said, now smiling. “But thanks. Maybe after school? We can study together at the library, perhaps? I could help you with English as well, if you need it?”

James opened his mouth to say ‘yes, that’d be great’ but then he remembered. The football tryouts were today.

“I wish i could,” he said with a sigh. “But there are football tryouts and i've been planning to do that. Sorry.”

“Another time, then.” Lily smiled.

 

James could feel the nerves as he made his way down to the football field with Sirius. “I haven’t played football since High School. What if i’ve gotten too out of practise? I don’t wanna flop it.”

“Oh, i’m sure it’ll be fine.” Sirius said nonchalantly.

“You’ve never seen me play football.”

“You’re right, i haven’t.” Sirius grinned. “You might be terrible. Don’t worry, if you flop, i’ll be sure to get it on video.”

“Wow.” James rolled his eyes, trying not to let his nerves show. “Thanks.”

“That’s what friends for.” Sirius said.

They reached the football field, where the team was standing, as well as a few other kids who james assumed wanted to try out for the team as well.

“Oh, hey. Look, it’s the kid from monday!” One of the guys from the team said as he saw James.

“Looks like you’re famous already.” Sirius said.

A few of the guys turned to look at him and James.

“You want to join the team too?” One of them asked Sirius, probably taking in his appearance. Sirius didn’t exactly look like the typical football player.

“No offense,” Sirius said. “But i would literally rather kill myself.”

The guy ignored Sirius’s comment, looking at James instead. “You wanted to join, didn’t you?” He asked.

“Yeah.” James replied.

The guy nodded and stepped forwards. “I’m Michael. Captain of the team.”

Michael extended his hand to James, who shook it. “I’m James.”

“Right.” Michael said. “Now get in line with the others.”

James went to stand with the 5 others who were trying out for a place on the team. Sirius sat at the almost empty stands, looking bored already. James couldn’t help but feel a bit of guilt for dragging Sirius out there, but still, it was nice to not be so alone.

The tryouts started with Michael, the Team Captain, dividing everyone into pairs and giving each pair a ball to throw around.

James’s partner was rather clumsy, and not very good at throwing or receiving the ball, but James did his best to not let that affect him.

All of his throws were very good and precise, if he were to say so himself, and he only fumbled with the ball once, when the guy he was paired with made an especially poor throw.

“Okay, listen up.” Michael called. James caught the ball one last time from his partner and looked up at the Captain. “Now, to demonstrate your techniques on the field, we’re gonna be playing a normal game of football, exactly like we'd play a real game. Cody here will split you up into teams, and we’ll see if any of you are actually any good.”

Another guy from the team, Cody, gave everyone a number between 1 and 2. James got 1. Because of how few they were, a few of the guys from the football team joined in.

“You, James.” Michael pointed at him. “Your throws seemed pretty solid. Wanna play the Quarterback?”

James grinned and nodded. That was exactly what he’d hoped for.

They played a whole, real game. The two others on James’s team weren’t very good. They kept dropping the ball or handing it off to the opposing team, and James wondered if they’d ever even touched a football before.

James’s team ended up losing the game, and James couldn’t help but feel a little defeated. His first game since High School, and he’d lost. Did he even have a chance to get on the team now?

“Alright, listen up.” Michael called.

Panting, James and the others ran up to him.

“Overall, that was pretty shit.” Michael said, looking over them all. “Most of you aren’t very good at football.”

James lowered his head. Was it him, Michael was talking about? Had he not done as well as he'd thought?

“Some of you didn’t suck, though.” Michael continued, his eyes briefly landing on James. “A few of you were actually quite talented, and luckily, it’s only a few of you we need.”

“Are you gonna tell us now who made the cut?” A guy next to James asked.

“We need to have a quick discussion as a team first.” Michael answered. “The results will be out by monday.”

People started leaving the football field to go back to their dorm, or wherever they needed to be.

“Oi, James.”

James stopped in his tracks and turned around to see Michael coming towards him.

“I have to admit,” Michael said, crossing his arms and nodding approvingly. “You’re pretty damn good.”

“Really?” James said.

“Of course i shouldn’t tell you this, but,” Michael paused, probably for dramatic effect, before saying the thing he probably shouldn’t tell James. “You’re definitely guaranteed a place on the team.”

James grinned. “You really think so?”

“It’s my fucking job to choose who joins the team. Besides, did you see the others? Most of them played like it was their first time.” Michael laughed. James wanted to join in the laugh, but felt a little guilty for making fun of the others. They had probably done their best, just as James had.

“Anyways, James. You’re a really good quarterback. That’s the position you want, right?”

“Yeah.” James nodded, trying not to seem too over-excited. “If that’s possible.”

Michael nodded. “Well, the team needs a quarterback. Our old one just graduated.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Oi, James, did it go well?”

James was startled as Sirius suddenly appeared beside him.

“You were watching, weren’t you?” Michael asked.

“Yeah, but all i saw were a bunch of people throwing around a ball. So, did it go well or were you a complete flop?” He asked, turning to look at James.

James shrugged, smiling. “I think it went pretty well.”

“Good for you. Can i please leave now?”

Michael looked at Sirius. “Why did you even come if you don’t like football?”

“I was dragged here by James. But i didn’t really have anything better to do, so whatever.”

Michael rolled his eyes before looking back at James, completely ignoring Sirius’s presence. “James, the whole team is gonna go get drinks somewhere. You should come.”

“Really?” James grinned. The football team was actually _inviting_ him to hang out with them. But then what about Sirius? “Can Sirius come too?” He asked.

“I’d rather not.” Sirius said.

“Sorry James, but it’s only for the team.” Michael shrugged.

James turned to Sirius. “Mate, is it alright if i go with them?”

“Yeah.”

“You sure?” James really wanted to come with the team, but he felt guilty going without Sirius.

“Yeah, i have the vodka and my tears of loneliness to keep me company.” Sirius sighed. For a moment, James felt guilty, and considered staying with Sirius instead of going with the football guys, but then Sirius’s face split into a grin. “I’m kidding, James. Of course it’s okay. I was planning on going to the coffee shop anyways.”

“The coffee shop?” James smirked. “Hoping to see a certain barista?” He nudged Sirius in the side and wiggled his eyebrows.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Sirius said. “I just want a cup of coffee while i finish that stupid essay.”

“Right, if you say so.” James laughed.

“Are you coming, James?” Michael called from where he was standing with the rest of the team.

James turned back to Sirius. “So, you’re sure you don’t mind?”

“I’ve told you, it’s fine.” Sirius assured him, already turning away to leave the football pit. “Just go on your goddamn football date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanna give a huge thanks to you guys who've supported my fic in terms of sharing, commenting and giving kudos! It means a lot to me!


	6. The Phone Number

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took a while xD  
> Hope you enjoy!

On the way back to his dorm, Sirius met Peter, who seemed quite happy to bump into him. 

“Sirius! Hi.” Peter waved awkwardly.

“Hey, Pete.” 

“Uhm…” Peter fiddled with the strings on his hoodie, looking down at the floor. “What are you doing?”

“Uh… Walking to my dorm?” Sirius answered.

“Okay… Will you help me with my essay?” Peter asked. 

“What essay?”

“The one for art history.” Peter sighed. “I’m gonna fail if you don’t help me!”

Sirius shrugged. “Well, i haven’t done my own yet either, but i was kinda planning on going to the coffee shop and write it there.”

“Can i come?” Peter asked. “We can write it together.”

Sirius chewed on his lip, looking down the hallway to where his dorm was. He’d been planning on going alone and didn’t really fancy spending the afternoon helping Peter with his homework. 

“Sorry, Pete,” Sirius said. “But i’d really rather work alone.”

Peter groaned. “Then how am i gonna get my essay done?” 

Sirius shrugged. “I dunno, write the essay?”

“I-” Peter looked horrified at the prospect of doing so. “Please, Sirius?”

Sirius sighed. “Can’t i just let you copy mine when i’m finished?”

Peter seemed to consider the offer. “Won’t the professor notice?”

“I honestly doubt it,” Sirius said. “He’s so old! But to be sure, just change it up a bit so it’s not so obvious.”

“Change it up?” 

“Yeah, like make it slightly different.”

“Oh.” Peter sighed. “Can’t i just come with you? I have nothing else to do.”

Sirius sighed deeply. If Peter didn’t have anything to do, why didn’t he just work on his fucking essay instead of bothering others who were trying to peacefully enjoy their day?

“Please, Sirius! I won’t bother you or anything.”

Sirius wasn’t even really sure why he was so reluctant to let Peter come with him. It wasn't that he didn’t like Peter. The guy could be pretty fun to be around. Sirius just didn’t really want to be around anyone right now. Perhaps maybe one person… His brother. 

Was he really homesick already?

“Whatever.” He said, sighing again. “You can come. just don’t expect me to pay for your coffee.”

“Don’t worry.” Peter grinned. “I don’t like coffee.”

Actually, Sirius thought, as he and Peter made their way down to the coffee shop, he probably wasn’t homesick. of course he wasn’t. He hated home, and he’d been so relieved to finally escape, but… Somehow it just didn’t seem right without Regulus. Not only did it feel wrong for him to be having fun and making new friends without his brother, he also couldn’t help but worry what would happen now he wasn’t there to protect Regulus. 

It wasn’t that his younger brother very often got in trouble, but what if that was just because Sirius always took the blame?

Also, Regulus hadn’t called or contacted him yet. Sure, maybe he was busy, but he couldn’t be that busy, could he? Maybe Regulus had a lot going on in his life that he wasn’t telling Sirius about, but why? Why wouldn’t he tell Sirius? They used to tell each other everything. Did he think Sirius was too busy with college to talk to him? Maybe that was it. Maybe Regulus didn’t want to bother Sirius, because he thought Sirius didn’t have time. Perhaps Sirius should contact him first, let him know that he wasn’t too busy and that he’d love to talk to him.

As he and peter entered the coffee shop, Sirius’s train of thought was completely interrupted.

Right there, behind the counter was the _same fucking barista_. Sirius stopped dead in his tracks without even realizing he did so. 

What were the odds? Sirius guessed they were probably pretty low. But there he was, the cute barista. Sirius observed him pushing a strand of curly hair out of his face before serving a customer, a polite smile on his beautiful face. 

“Sirius?” Peter poked him with his elbow. “You’re blocking the entrance.”

“Oh?” Sirius looked behind him and sure, a couple of annoyed college students were trying to get past him. “Sorry.” He said, quickly stepping into the coffee shop.  

“Well, Peter, why don’t you find a table while i order some coffee?”

Peter nodded dutifully and hurried to find a place for them to sit, while Sirius got in line, eyeing the handsome barista, who was currently busy mixing some kind of sugary creamy drink. 

Sirius had made up his mind. He was gonna talk to the barista. Not just order coffee, or say something stupid, no, he was actually going to talk to him. Maybe even ask for his number. Yes, he was definitely gonna ask for the guy’s number. 

“What can i getcha?” Sirius was suddenly met with the barista’s warm smile and beautiful eyes looking right at him. 

“Er-” No, dammit, he wasn’t supposed to get nervous. “Your number?” Sirius could feel the heat rush to his cheeks. Wow, smooth, he thought, wanting nothing more than to be buried alive. 

The barista seemed taken aback for a moment, before smiling, cheeks faintly pink. “Well, i meant what kind of coffee would you like?”

“Yeah, right, uhm…” Sirius looked around for a menu but found it to be way too unmanageable. “Can i please have that, uh, caramel thingy?”

The barista, clearly struggling to keep a straight face, glanced at the menu before facing back towards Sirius. “We have a bunch of caramel drinks on the menu. Which one are you referring to?”

“Surprise me.” Sirius said, making his best attempt at a confident smile.

The barista chuckled, rolling his eyes. “That’s not how it works, you know. But i suppose i can make an exception for you, if you’re really that indecisive.” 

“Thanks.” Sirius said, keeping up the confident facade, when really, he wanted to run away and hide.

“Gotcha. It’s Sirius, right?”

Sirius froze, shocked and surprised. “You remember my name?” 

The barista nodded. “How could i forget?” He chuckled. “All three times you’ve been in here, you’ve made a complete fool of yourself.”

“Oh.” Sirius looked down, not sure if he should be flattered or incredibly embarrassed. “Well,” although still quite flustered, Sirius made his best attempt at that confident smile that usually worked so well for him. “I think it’s only fair you tell me your name now.”

“Huh?” Again, the barista seemed taken aback. He looked down, cheeks going red, and Sirius couldn’t help but watch him bite his lip, smiling nervously. “It’s Remus.”

“Remus.” Sirius chuckled, equally nervous. “Cool.”

Remus smiled. “Now, i better hurry up making that surprise caramel drink for you.” He said. “Lots of people are waiting to order.”

“Oh,” Sirius looked over his shoulder, surprised to find that the line had grown twice as long while he’d been talking to the barista, Remus. “Right. Yeah, i’ll go then, so others can order too.”

Sirius quickly made his way over to a table where Peter was sitting.

“Do you know that guy?” Peter asked.

Sirius shrugged, opening his bag and pulling out his computer. “What guy?”

“The barista. The one you were talking to?”

“I was ordering coffee, Pete.” Sirius quickly logged onto his computer and opened a new Word document. “Now let me write my essay.”

“Well.. Is he your friend?”

“Is who my friend?” Sirius asked, glaring at the empty document on his screen. 

“The _barista_. It seemed like you two got along pretty well.”

“His name is Remus,” Sirius muttered. “And i’m pretty sure i made a complete fool out of myself. I should’ve just ordered coffee instead of... whatever i was doing.”

“Well, what did you say to him?” Peter asked.

“I asked him for his number.”

“Why?”

Sirius sighed. “Because i wanted his number?”

“Okay.” Peter looked down at the table, playing around with some leftover crumbs. “But why? Do you want to be his friend?” 

“I would like to be a little more than just his friend.” Sirius glanced in the barista’s direction. “Oh, and it looks like my coffee is done.”

Sirius got up and walked to the counter and grabbed the cup with his name on it, which appeared to be holding some very sweet drink with caramel and whipped cream. 

“What’s that?” Peter asked, as Sirius sat down yet again.

“That’s my drink, Peter.” Sirius was starting to doubt whether bringing Peter along had been a good idea.

“No, what’s that written on your cup?”

“My name.” Sirius sighed. “Now please let me write my essay.”

“I mean what’s those numbers written _below_ your name?” Peter asked. 

Sirius turned his cup, and true enough, below his name, in black marker, a set of numbers had been written. 

“Looks like a phone number.” Peter noted.

Sirius felt his face split into a stupid smile, looking over his shoulder at where Remus, the barista, was standing, then looked back at the number on the cup. Yup, it really did look like a phone number. Actually, it was almost certainly a phone number. Should Sirius try calling it? No, that would be stupid. If it really was Remus’s number, he shouldn’t call him during his shift. 

Instead, Sirius took his phone and typed in the number, saving the contact as ‘ _Possibly the cute barista_ ’. 

“Well, i won’t be able to concentrate on that stupid essay now,” he muttered, closing his laptop and stuffing it back into his bag. “I’m going back to campus. Are you coming?” He asked, looking at Peter. 

“Oh.” Peter looked a little confused but stood up anyways. “Yeah, okay.”

The two walked back, mostly in silence.

“Why’d he give you his number?” Peter suddenly asked. “That’s a bit odd, isn’t it?”

Sirius nodded. “Yeah, considering all the times i’ve embarrassed myself in front of him, it is kinda odd.”

“No, i mean, why would he just randomly give you his number?” Peter really didn’t seem to get it.

“Because i was flirting with him.” Sirius chuckled. “I mean, i wasn’t very good at it, but i suppose it worked anyways.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” Peter said. 

“Yeah. Well, this is my dorm. See ya, Pete.”

Sirius fished his key of the pocket of his jeans and opened the door. He put down his bag and plopped down on the bed, looking at his phone. Had the barista really given him his number? Or perhaps it was a fake number, to fool Sirius? It seemed unlikely that Sirius has actually managed to make a well enough impression to deserve the guy's number. 

_Remus_. Sirius smiled. the barista wasn't just a nameless stranger anymore. 

He wanted to text the number right away, but knew it was a bad idea. “I have to wait.” He told himself. “I’ll wait until tomorrow and then i’ll text him. Or whoever the number belongs to.”

The door opened suddenly, causing Sirius to jump.

“Sirius! Sirius, mate!” James had a look of mild panic on his face. “I kinda screwed up and i really need your help.”


	7. The Black Mansion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't had time to read this through, so it might suck, but i wanted to post it now! Thank you all for being patient and waiting xD

James had been slightly tipsy, not to mention very eager to fit in with the football team, and he’d screwed up. Of course, it wasn’t a super bad screw-up, but it could risk harnishing his new reputation, and he _really_ wanted the guys to like him. 

“James, i appreciate your trust in me, but i don’t know how to hide a dead body,” Sirius said. James couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or if he was joking, but probably the latter.

“Why would you think i’d need to hide a dead body?” James asked.

“Well, do you?”

“No!” James sighed and plopped down on the bed opposite Sirius. “I just said something that i maybe shouldn't have said, but i only said it because i wanted to fit in.”

“That’s dumb.” Sirius said. “What did you say?”

“Okay, so, they were talking about this party they were gonna have, but apparently they couldn’t have it in the frat house because there’s flooded or something? And none of them lives nearby. So in a moment if idiocy, i offered to have the party at my house.” He sighed again. “My house is at the other side of the country, Sirius!”

“Stop whining.” Sirius chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I can fix this.”

“How?” James asked.

“When is the party?” Sirius asked.

“Friday,” he answered, curious what Sirius might do.

Sirius reached for his phone and quickly dialed a number, putting the phone on speaker. The phone rang for a while, and James was beginning to doubt whether someone would even pick up, when suddenly, a vaguely familiar voice responded. “What?”

Sirius smiled, probably relieved that the person picked up the phone. “Reg, hey. Miss me?”

“Sure as hell didn’t miss all the trouble.” Sirius’ brother responded. “It’s very quiet at home without you.”

“Ah, but don’t worry.” Sirius grinned, looking directly at James. “It definitely won’t be quiet this Friday.”

“What do you mean?” Regulus asked cautiously. 

“Mum and dad aren’t home friday, are they?”

“No, they’re at that fancy thing.” He responded. 

“No idea what fancy thing you’re talking about, but i don’t care.” Sirius said. “We’re hosting a party this friday?”

“What the fuck, Sirius? That’s tomorrow!” 

“Yeah, i know. Don’t worry, Reg, you don’t have to worry about it. Just letting you know.”

Regulus could be heard sighing. “Fuck you. You know our parents will kill us if they find out.”

“Good thing they won't find out.” Sirius said. There was a short pause, where none of them said anything.

“Well, was that all?” Regulus asked. 

“Actually, no.” Sirius said. “I really wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh.” Another short pause. “Then talk.”

“How are things going at home?” Sirius asked. “Are mum and dad being alright to you?”

“Yeah.” Regulus answered. “Yeah, it’s fine. I gotta go now, see ya.”

Sirius opened his mouth to say something else, but the line went dead as his brother hung up. He sighed and muttered “see you then” into the phone. 

“Thank you, Sirius.” James said. “You really think we can have the party at your house? How far is it?”

“Not far,” Sirius said absentmindedly, putting away the phone. “Like a 15 minute drive.”

“That’s perfect. I hope your brother isn’t too mad at you.”

“Hmm.” Sirius sighed, looking down at his phone. 

James moved over to sit on the bed beside Sirius, nudging him in the side. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Sirius muttered. “Whatever.”

“No.” James put a hand on Sirius’ shoulder. “Tell me.”

Sirius kept his gaze at his hands as he spoke, his voice oddly small. “Why doesn’t he wanna talk to me?”

“Who, Regulus?”

Sirius nodded. “He can’t be that busy, can he? I’m busy too, you know, but i still want to talk to him. It’s like he doesn’t even miss me.”

“Of course he misses you,” James said. 

Sirius snorted, running a hand through his hair. “He has a funny way of showing it.”

“Hey.” James nudged Sirius again. “We’re going to your house tomorrow, for the party. You’ll get to talk to him then.”

“Hm.” Sirius stood up, grabbing his bag, and walked towards the door. 

“Where are you going?” James asked. 

“Library,” Sirius answered from the hallway. “I still have an essay to write.”

The door slammed behind him, leaving James to sit alone on the bed. He briefly contemplated going after Sirius. He was definitely upset, so maybe James should try cheering him up?

No, James had already tried that, and it didn’t seem to have made much of a difference. He figured that letting him be alone would be the best thing to do, and then maybe they could talk about it later. 

So after sitting in their dorm for a couple of minutes, wondering what he was going to do, James decided to go for a walk. 

He ended up strolling down a corridor, careful not to go in the direction of the library, as Sirius probably wouldn’t appreciate being followed. 

James hadn’t really thought about how big campus was. Most of his classes were in the same part of the building, so he hadn’t had much time to do much exploring. Now would probably be a great time to do that. 

Turning a corner in the hallway, James almost bumped into someone. A girl with pretty, red hair. 

Lily quickly apologized before realizing who she’d bumped into. “Oh, hi James!”

“Hey, Lily.” James smiled, running a hand through his already messy hair. 

“How did it go with football tryouts?” She asked, pushing a strand of red hair out of her face.

James grinned, flattered. She’d actually remembered that! “It went really well! The captain said i was definitely guaranteed a spot on the team!”

Lily chuckled. “That’s amazing, James. I’m glad to hear that.”

“Thanks.” 

“So, where were you going, anyways?”

James shrugged, putting his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “I was just exploring campus. It’s pretty big, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Would you like to explore it with me?” James asked. “If you’re not busy, i mean.” He hurried to add.

Lily chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, i’d like that.” She said. 

They walked for a while, down hallway after hallway, all very similar. 

“Have you been here before?” Lily asked.

James looked around the hallway. “Not sure.” He said. “I mean, i probably haven’t but it looks just like all the other hallways in this building.”

“Yeah.” Lily chuckled. “You’re right about that.”

“We could go to the frat houses. they aren’t far from here, as far as i know,” She suggested.

“Oh, i’ve been there.” James said. “It’s definitely more interesting than all these hallways.”   
“You have?” Lily sounded surprised.

“Yeah, earlier today. After football tryouts, the team invited me for a few drinks. We stopped by one of the fat houses before going to a bar. that actually reminds me,” James stopped walking, and so did Lily. “Would you uuh…” James cleared his throat. “There’s this party at Sirius’ house. But technically the football team is hosting it.”

“Yeah?” Lily smiled.

“Yeah, and i was wondering if you’d like to go?” James asked.

Lily blushed, looking down which caused a strand of red hair to fall into her eyes. “WIth you?” She asked. 

James couldn’t help but feel flustered. He had intended to ask her to the party as a date, but what a bad idea that was. Of course she wouldn’t want that. “Just as friends of course.” He quickly assured her. 

“Oh.” She sighed, lips pressed tightly together. Almost like she was disappointed. “Sorry, i can’t come. Too much homework.”

“I see.” It seemed like James had said something wrong, but he didn’t know what it was. Surely Lily didn't want to go on a date with him? “Well, i gotta go.”

“Oh, okay…” Lily nodded. “Well, i’ll see you.”

 

James went by his dorm first, but Sirius wasn’t back yet. 

He was still in the library, sat by a table, phone in his hand. He had his feet on the table, tilting back the chair so it was balanced on only two legs. 

“Hey.” James sat down at the table. “I tried to ask Lily to the party.”

Sirius looked up. “Like… as a date? Finally.”

“Well.” James sighed. “That was the original intention, but then i chickened out and said it was just as friends. And now she doesn’t wanna go.”

Sirius scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot, James. Why would you tell her it was only as friends?”

James shrugged. “I didn’t think she would wanna go with me. As a date.”

“Of course she wants that! She obviously fancies you.”

James chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s ridiculous, Sirius.” He looked at his friend, hesitating, not sure if he should bring up the thing with his brother. It looked like Sirius had forgot about it, and perhaps bringing it up would ruin his mood again, but on the other hand Sirius could just be pretending to be fine. Maybe he needed someone to talk to?

James should at least give him the chance. “Listen,” he said, causing Sirius to look up at him. “If you wanna talk about the thing with your brother or anything-”

“James.” Sirius cut him off. “I appreciate the concern, but you’re not my therapist and i don’t need to talk. Now c’mon, i’m at least going back to our dorm.”

 

Next morning, James was awoken by Sirius pulling back the curtains. 

“What the fuck?” James groaned, pulling up his blanket to cover his head. 

“I’m leaving in 30 minutes, so if you wanna come you should probably hurry up.” Sirius said. 

James yawned, pushing himself up on his elbows. “Leaving? Where the hell are we going?”

Sirius, already fully dressed, and with a bunch of extra clothes in his hands, stopped to look at James, like he’d said something crazy. “Sometimes i almost think you’re kinda smart, but then you ask dumbass questions like those.” He said, rolling his eyes. “We’re going to my house to prepare for the party.”

“Oh.” James sat up, fumbling for his glasses on the bedside table. “It’s 8.30, Sirius. Why are we going there so early?”

“Well, you don’t necessarily have to go with me. You can take a bus or whatever later, but i wanna see my brother and make sure the house is ready for a party.”

“Right.” James nodded. “That makes sense, i guess. I’ll come with you, if you don’t mind.”

“Just hurry up,” Sirius said, stuffing clothes down his bag. 

James noticed Sirous was bringing a lot of clothes for just one day. “How long are you planning on staying?” He asked. 

Sirius shrugged. “Just until my parents come home. Which might be the whole weekend, if i’m lucky. But you can go home whenever you want.”

 

James and Sirius took a bus to where Sirius lived. James noticed the neighborhood looked extraordinarily nice. They stopped in front of the biggest house of them all. Sirius rubbed his neck, hesitantly turning back to look at James. “This is my house.” He muttered sheepishly.

James felt almost lost for words. “Sirius, you didn’t tell me you live in a fucking mansion.”

"Well, welcome to the Black mansion, i guess." Sirius chuckled, taking the few steps towards the dark mahogany door, ringing the doorbell. 

No one answered. In fact, no sounds could be heard from the house. 

Sirius clicked his tongue impatiently. “I’ll call and ask Regulus to let us in,” he said, taking out his phone. 

It rang for a while, before picking up and a sleepy voice muttered something from the other end. 

“Hey, Reg.” Sirius said. “We’re outside the house.”

James couldn’t hear what Regulus answered but after not so long, Sirius said “thanks” and hung up.

A faint tramping could be heard as Regulus undoubtedly hurried down the stairs and shortly after, the lock clicked and the door opened. 

They had obviously woken Regulus up. He was looking at them with sleepy, grey eyes, and his dark hair was messy. He covered his mouth, stifling a yawn. “Why the fuck are you here so early?” He demanded, visibly annoyed by the disturbance.

“Nice to see you too.” Sirius said, ignoring his brother’s question. “Now can we please come in?”

Regulus stepped aside to let James and Sirius enter. James noticed the younger brother glancing at him several times. 

“Hey Regulus.” He said politely.

“Who’s he?” Regulus asked, ignoring James’ greeting.

Sirius kicked off his shoes before turning to face the two. “This is James,” he answered. “You met him like a week ago, remember?”

Regulus shrugged, but didn’t answer the question. “When is the party happening?” He asked Sirius.

“When people arrive.” Sirius merely answered. “Don’t worry, James and I will take care of all preparations. Now you’ll excuse us, we’re going to my room.”

James followed Sirius up a staircase which lead to a hallway with lots of doors. He couldn't help but notice all of the fancy decorations and furniture across the house. Old paintings, elegant, gold-covered candlesticks, and so much more. A lot of the stuff appeared to be antique. 

“Is your family, like… super rich?” James asked. 

Sirius shrugged, stopping in front of one of the doors. A sign with his name on it was hung on the door. “This is my room.”

Sirius’ room was messy, and it didn’t look like anyone had been in there since he left. He walked to the bed, sweeping a couple of books onto the floor before sitting down.

“So, you’re the one who’s hosting this party. I’m just offering my house.”

James nodded. “Yeah, i’m pretty sure the football team will bring all the stuff,” he said. “They just needed the house.”

Sirius grinned. “That’s perfect. We can do whatever we want until the guests arrive.” He got up, walking back to the door, a mischievous grin on his face. “Wanna get pre-drunk?”

James hesitated for a moment. “Pre-drunk? Isn’t it better to be sober when the guests arrive? To, like, make sure they don’t break anything or-”

Sirius sighed, causing James to stop talking. “You can do what you want, James. But i’m intending to get absolutely wasted tonight.”

And with that, Sirius left the room. James stayed for a moment, listening to Sirius’ footsteps as he ran downstairs. “Whatever,” he muttered to himself. “This might as well happen.”

Sirius has already opened a bottle of very expensive-looking vodka and was pouring it into a glass. “My parents may be jerks but at least they have a huge stock of quality booze,” he said.

“Won’t they notice you’ve taken the vodka?” James asked.

Sirius shook his head, pouring all of the bottle’s content into different cups and bottles. “You see, i have this little trick called ‘replace vodka with water.’” He grinned, opening a tab on the sink and placing the empty bottle beneath, filling it up with water. “They won’t be able to tell the difference unless they taste it.”

James could see a lot of flaws in this plan. “What if they decide to drink it?” 

Sirius shrugged. “Then i’m a dead man, James, but they most likely won’t. This stuff is very expensive, chances are they won’t just sit down and drink it on a regular saturday evening.” He picked up a glass filled with the clear liquid. “C’mon, have some.”

James took a small sip. He didn’t wanna be too drunk before the actual party started. 

They stood a while in the kitchen, in silence. James noticed Sirius kept checking his phone. “Are you awaiting a message?” He asked.

Sirius looked up from his phone. “No,” he said, smiling slightly. “Not yet, at least?”

“What do you mean?”

Sirius chuckled, again opening his phone. “Well, i haven’t texted him yet. I’m kinda gathering up the courage to do it. Maybe when i’m drunk enough.”

“Wait…” James honestly had no idea what Sirius was talking about. “Who haven’t you texted yet?”

Sirius tapped his screen a few times before shoving the phone into James’ hands. James squinted at the screen. A phone contact, saved as “Possibly the cute barista”.

“I got his number!” Sirius grinned excitedly, taking back his phone.

“The barista?” Sirius nodded. James grinned, nudging him playfully. “That’s great, Sirius!” he said enthusiastically. “But why haven’t you texted him yet?”

Sirius sighed, looking down. “Like i said, i need to… gather up the courage.”

“Ah, i see.” James leaned against the kitchen counter, looking at Sirius with a playful smile. “You’re a chicken.”

“What?” Sirius looked offended. “No, i’m not! I’m just waiting for the right time to text him!”

“Yeah, right.” James imitated a chicken with his arms while making high-pitched chicken noises.

“Shut up, James! I’m not a chicken.” Sirius huffed, crossing his arms. 

James laughed, nudging him in the side. “Prove it. Prove you’re not a chicken.”

Sirius shook his head, shoving away James’ arm. “I don’t have to prove anything to you,” he said.

“C’mon, chicken.” James did the chicken movements again. “Look at me, my name is Sirius Black and i’m too much of a chicken to text my crush!”

Sirius sighed and, glaring at James, he chugged the cup of vodka, setting the empty glass down at the table with a slam. “Fuck you,” he muttered, picking up his phone. 

James grinned and leaned over Sirius to get a look at what he was gonna text the guy. “Does he have a name, by the way?” James asked. 

Sirius nodded, opening messages and clicking the baristas contact. “It’s Remus. Beautiful name, right?”

James chuckled. “So, what are you gonna text him?”

Sirius shrugged, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. “Is it weird if i just text him and say hello?”

“Hmm.” James knew he wasn’t exactly an expert when it came to dating. Or flirting. But Sirius had given him various pieces of advice, so maybe it was James’ turn to give the advice. “What kind of impression do you wanna give him?”

Sirius snorted. “It’s barely a first impression,” he said. “He already thinks i’m a dumbass.”

“Maybe he likes that.” James laughed.

“Let’s hope so.” Sirius stared at the screen, sighing, then suddenly, his face lit up. “What if i send him a really good pick-up line?”

“A pick-up line? Really?”

Sirius’ smile faltered. “Is it too cheesy?”

James shrugged. “Well, pick-up lines are supposed to be cheesy, so if that’s what you’re going for…”

Sirius sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t want him to think i’m some sappy cheese-lord.”

“Cheese-lord?” James burst out laughing. 

“Lord of cheesy-ness.” Sirius elaborated. “I want him to think i’m… y’know cool.”

James took a few slow breaths to get his laughter under control. “Okay, no offense,” he said, still giggling. “But i don’t think he finds you very cool.”

Sirius opened his mind to say something, but closed it again. “Yeah, probably not,” he admitted. “You know what? I’ll just text him a pick-up line. At least then i’m clear about my intentions.” He grinned. “How’s this: Did it hurt when you fell out of the vending machine? Because you look like a snack.” 

“Wow, smooth.” James laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, you should send him that.”

Sirius nodded, and started typing. James looked up and was startled to see Regulus standing in the doorframe to the kitchen. He nudged Sirius and gestured towards Regulus.

“Hey, Reg,” Sirius said, sliding his phone into his back pocket. “Ready to party?”

Regulus didn’t look particularly excited. “Promise you’ll keep the party under control,” he said.

Sirius snorted, rolling his eyes. “Regulus, a party isn’t meant to be under control.”

“If mum and dad find out, they’re gonna kill us both,” Regulus muttered. “But you’ll probably not be here when they come home, so they’re just gonna kill me.”

Sirius poured himself another glass of vodka. “Relax, Reg, it’s gonna be fine.”

Regulus didn’t look convinced. “I hate you,” he muttered, turning around and walking away from the kitchen. 

Sirius shrugged, taking a sip of vodka. “Hopefully he’ll loosen up,” he said. “Let’s find a way to kill time until the party.”


	8. The Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I havent done this so far but I realize i should probably do some sort of wanring for alcohol?  
> Sorry I didn't think of that before!

The guests started arriving at Sirius’ house around 10 PM. The ‘jocks’, as Sirius mockingly referred to them as, had brought plenty of alcohol: mostly cheap beer.

James was a little surprised at how many people were arriving: to be honest, he had thought it would only be the football team and maybe a few of their friends, but as more and more people came through the door, he realized it was gonna be a little more than that.  
“Don’t worry,” Sirius said calmly. “The house is big enough for everyone.”

James wasn’t worried. More excited, really. He’d never been to a party this big before. Actually, he’d never really been to any real parties at all. Homecoming and other high school events didn’t count.

“James! A little help over here!” Sirius entered the main living room, carrying a heavy-looking speaker. James hurried over to assist him, placing it next to the tv. It didn’t take long before people were dancing to the loud music, plastic cups filled with beer or vodka in their hands.

Everyone generally seemed to enjoy themselves - well, everyone except one person.

Regulus was standing rigidly in the back of the room, scowling at the crowd of partying teenagers.

“Seems like your brother isn’t so happy about all of this,” James said, his voice drowning in the loud music.

“What?!” Sirius shouted over the music, already halfway onto the dancefloor.

James gestured to Regulus. “He doesn’t look happy!” he said, louder this time.

Sirius rolled his eyes, seeing his brother in the corner. He made his way across the room, grabbing a bottle of some alcoholic beverage along the way.

James felt a little awkward, standing there by himself, and he didn’t quite feel comfortable enough to dance, so he followed Sirius.

“C’mon, loosen up a little!” he heard Sirius say to Regulus, nudging him playfully in the side.

Regulus scoffed, crossing his arms defensively. “Are you drunk?” he asked.

“Pfft. Drunk?” Sirius shook his head. “I’ve only had a bit to drink so far. I’m not even a little bit drunk yet.”

“Look at the mess people are making,” Regulus said, glaring at the crowd, dancing around in the room which was already littered with half-empty plastic cups and candy wrapper.

Sirius shrugged, grinning carelessly. “We’ll clean that up tomorrow. Here, take this.” he handed Regulus the bottle. “You definitely need it.”

Regulus scowled but took the bottle nevertheless. “I hate you for having this stupid party,” he said, turning around and walking away.

Sirius tried calling after him, but he had already disappeared in the crowd. He let out a deep sigh before turning to James, apparently only now realizing he was there. “Maybe _you_ can try talking to him,” he said.

James blinked a few times, confused by Sirius’ request. “Me?”

“Yeah.” Sirius shrugged. “I don’t know if it’d make a difference but… Well, I guess I just feel like maybe he would be more likely to listen to you? Since he seems to hate me.”

“Well… what do you want me to say to him?”

Sirius shrugged again. “Maybe just try to make him loosen up a little?” he suggested. “He definitely worries too much.”

James nodded. “I’ll try my best,” he promised Sirius, before making his way through the crowd, and upstairs, where Regulus might be.

There weren’t a lot of people upstairs. A couple making out in the hallway, seemingly oblivious to James’ presence. He tried knocking on the door to Regulus’ room. An angry growl came from inside. “For the 3rd time, this is NOT the bathroom!”

“I know,” James said. “Can I come in?”

He awaited an answer, but none came, so he opened the door. Regulus was sitting on his bed in the dim room. He glared at James when he entered. “What do you want?”

James shrugged. “It’s kinda sad, just being in here when there’s a party downstairs, don’t you think?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“Then why are you in here?”

James chuckled. “Touché.” He went to sit down at the boy’s bed, ignoring his warning glare. “Why aren’t you enjoying the party?” he asked.

Regulus ignored his question in favour of asking him a question of his own. “Sirius sent you here, didn’t he?”

“No,” James lied. Regulus glared at him. “Okay, yes, Sirius suggested that i went to talk to you, but that doesn’t me I don’t wanna be here. It’s a pretty nice room you’ve got,” he noted, looking around. “Very clean.”

Regulus nodded. “Unlike Sirius’s,” he said, causing James to laugh.

“Do you wanna play a party game?” James asked.

He was expecting a no but surprisingly, Regulus agreed. “What game?”

“Never Have I Ever?” James suggested. “We don’t have anything to drink, though.”

“There’s the bottle of… whatever Sirius gave me,” Regulus said. “And just so you know, I’m not planning to get drunk with you.”

James grinned, reaching for the bottle. “Well, then you should try to win the game.”

Regulus sat back in his bed, getting comfortable. “You start.”

James sat cross-legged in front of the boy. “Never have I ever had a brother,” he said, handing the bottle to Regulus, who took a swig, scowling at him.

He grimaced, coughing a bit. “Oh god, that’s strong.” After taking a moment to collect himself, he handed the bottle back to James, the thirst for revenge shining in his eyes. “Never have I ever worn glasses.”

James rolled his eyes, taking a swig from the bottle. “Don’t use my disability against me,” he said.

Regulus scoffed. “Disability? James, it’s _glasses_.”

“Being half-blind is very hard,” James said, giggling a little. The alcohol was apparently already having an effect on him.

They went back and forth for a while, getting repeatedly more and more drunk. Regulus, who had been so private and reserved up until now, was really openeing up a lot with the help of the alcohol.

At some point into the evening, the younger boy said, while giggling uncontrollably, “Never have I ever… kissed a guy!”

James laughed too, taking the bottle from Regulus. He was about to take a swig but suddenly stopped. “I haven't weither,” he said. “Wanna try it?”

Regulus seemed taken aback by the question. “With… with you?” he asked.

James shrugged, giggling. “I’m the best, most kissable guy at this party!” he said. “I’m just saying, you sounded like you wanted to try it out.”

“I’m not gay,” Regulus insisted, his cheeks a little pink. “I just wanted to find out if you’ve ever tried it, that’s all.”

Leaning down, James nudged the boy playfully, all the while he still giggled uncontrollably. Before either of them could do or say anything more, the door was opened and two teens, equally as drunk as James and Regulus, stumbled inside, apparently in the process of taking each other's clothes off.

“Hey, fuck off!” Regulus shouted, quickly sitting up. “This is _my_ room.”

One of the two, a girl with brown hair, looked over her shoulder, giggling as she saw the two of them, sitting on the bed. “Looks like we aren’t alone. You guys don’t mind, do you?”

“Yes, we do!” Regulus scowled at them. “Get the fuck out of my room.”

“C’mon, Reg,” James said, grabbing the bottle and getting up from the bed. “Let’s find somewhere a little more private.”

They left, leaving the intruding couple to do their business.

Out in the hallway, Regulus swayed a little, stumbling towards the stairs. 

“Are you okay?” James asked, putting an arm around the other boy so he wouldn’t fall.

Regulus nodded, leaning back against the rail on the stairs. “Can we go get some fresh air?”

 

The cold air outside seemed to sober both of them up, at least for a moment. Regulus sat down against the wall, taking in a few deep breaths. James sat down beside him. “Are you sure you’re okay? Should i go get Sirius?”

“No no no,” Regulus shook his head. “I’m good. It just suddenly got a little hot in there, you know?.” He sighed, taking the bottle from James’ hand.

“Are you sure it wouldn’t be better to drink some water instead?” James asked.

Regulus shook his head again. “No, fuck that. Let’s finish where we left off,” he giggled, taking a big swig from the contents of the bottle.

Perhaps, if James hadn’t still been drunk himself, or if he hadn’t felt so carried away by the loud music, booming through the windows and out onto the night with the moon shining down of them, he would’ve acted more responsibly. But he didn’t. Instead, he grinned, putting his arm around Regulus’ shoulder. “You've still never kissed a guy. Sure you don’t want to try it?”

Regulus rolled his eyes, a short, uncontrolled giggle escaping him. “Sounds like you’re the one who wants it.”

“C’mon, don’t be such a wuss,” James said, taking the bottle from Regulus. He took a long swig. “I dare you. Just one, insignificant kiss. Unless you’re a coward.”

Something about those words seemed to provoke Regulus. He grabbed James by the collar of his shirt and pulled their heads together, pressing his lips to James’.

It was good. Really, really good. James hadn’t expected it to be. He had honestly expected it to be like any dare, silly and insignificant, but it wasn’t like that. It was a great kiss, possibly the best James had ever had, and it scared him. Blushing brightly, he pulled away.

Strangely enough, Regulus seemed disappointed for the kiss to end. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” James laughed nervously, quickly getting to his feet, ignoring his pounding heart and warm cheeks. “I’m gonna go back inside. Wanna, uh, come with me?” Why did he ask that? Did he really want Regulus to go with him? We wanted to get away, most of all.

Regulus sighed, shaking his head. “Do what you want, James,” he muttered, looking away. “I’ll stay out here.”

 

Back inside, James was pretty much blown away by the loud music. He searched the crowd for Sirius, finding him in the middle of the dance floor. Sirius was a good dancer. Not surprising, James thought. He was surrounded by a small group of girls. Amusing but again, not surprising.

James pushed his way through the crowd, making his way over to his friend.

“Heeey!” Sirius grinned, still dancing although he now had most of his attention directed at James. “You’ve been gone for a while. Did you talk to Regulus?”

“Uh…” James rubbed his neck, carefully avoiding Sirius’ gaze. “Yeah, for a bit. But he seemed like he was having fun on his own, so, uh, we didn’t do anything weird or anything. We barely even spoke.” He felt kinda bad lying to Sirius, but he knew he couldn’t tell him the truth.

“Okay.” Sirius finally stopped dancing. “I think most people are leaving pretty soon. Wanna sleep over?”

James thought about it. He wasn’t very eager to spend anymore time than possible in Sirius’ house, especially as long as Regulus was around. “I think I’ll just take the late bus back to campus,” he said.

Sirius nodded. “Alright. So will I then. Now come on.” He started dancing again, nudging James and gesturing for him to dance too. “Dance with me!”

James sighed. He had had a lot to drink, his head was starting to feel heavy, and he didn’t have as much control over his limbs as he’d like to. “I think I’ll pass,” he said.

But Sirius didn’t take no for an answer. Laughing, he grabbed James’ arms, forcing him to move them as though he was dancing. James laughed. “You’re so stupid,” he said, giving into Sirius’ wish and doing some kind of dance.

Sirius grinned. “And you’re a hopeless dancer.”


End file.
